Crap We Want

The world is full of crap. Most of it is not worth having. Some it is. Here are this month’s picks for…crap we want!

Clocky, the running alarm clock made by Nanda

Clocky is the perfect solution for the snooze-abuser. Clocky allows the snooze to be hit only once before rolling from its bedside perch to land somewhere else in the room, all while blaring an alarm. The only way to turn Clocky off is to get up and find him. Each day, the diabolical wheeled clock will find a different place to hide. At $39, it’s just expensive enough to keep you from throwing the little guy in the trash. ClockWay.com

The Blood Lamp

Goths rejoice! Finally there’s a light as dark, brooding, and cheerless as you are. The Blood Lamp will produce light only when a drop of blood is placed in the vial. Its fluorescent blue light is courtesy of luminol, the chemical that CSI types use to discover blood residue. As cool as that sounds, the lamp is not for sale. British inventor Mike Thompson intended it as a thought piece on the price of energy, and how little thought we give to wasting energy.

Rolltop Computer

Laptops, your days are numbered. Tablets? Enjoy your time in the sun. The Rolltop, though still deep in development, promises to once again upend portable computing. Essentially a laptop that rolls up like a newspaper for transportation, it promises to be the first of many devices to free us from the tyranny of the inflexible screen. No word on availability or pricing.

Pillow Talk

Are you lonely tonight? No, I’m not about to pitch you a phone-sex hotline. If you’re missing that special someone then you might be a candidate for Pillow Talk. Each pillow in this pillow set glows along with the heartbeat of the other person, allowing people far away to feel closer. Personally, I’m freaked out by soft, pulsing lights in the middle of the night (too much TV as a kid), but this is the perfect way to bring that faraway someone a little closer to your bed, and heart. Awww.

Throwball Panoramic Ball Camera

At some point, people started putting cameras in everything – toys, phones, cars – so I guess it was inevitable that someone would eventually stick one in a ball. The Throwball Panoramic Ball Camera is not one, but 36 2MP cameras protected inside a ball a little smaller than a soccer ball. When thrown straight up each camera takes a picture when it reaches the apex of its throw. The onboard software stitches the images together into a single, 360 degree cohesive image that can be manipulated and explored. No word on availability, pricing, or what happens if you miss the catch.